In a candid and humorous revelation on 'Cheeky Singles', former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja recalled his early days in the national team when he shared
a room with Navjot Singh Sidhu.
"Early on in my career, we became room partners. I had just come into the team as a young player, a bit nervous about sharing a room. But the good thing was, Sidhu always mentioned, 'What happens in the room stays in the room,' and that suited me perfectly," Jadeja said.
Back in those days, two players would share one room during tours. Jadeja noted that their opposite schedules strangely worked out. "I would come back late at night, and he would be waking up early, so our schedules matched strangely. There was one time we were playing an afternoon match, and I was the 12th man. I took a good catch, and Sidhu went up to Kapil Dev saying, 'What a gem we have found. He came back to the room at 4 AM in the morning, but look how well he fields!' It was hard to tell whether Sidhu was praising me or setting me up for trouble," he laughed.
Sreesanth on Celebrations, Planning Outings & Iconic Hayden Dismissal
Also on JioHotstar show 'Cheeky Singles', former fast bowler S. Sreesanth took fans down memory lane, sharing how the Indian team celebrated big wins during his early career.
"In our time, only two or three players slept early. Sachin paaji (Sachin Tendulkar) would always sleep early, Rahul bhai (Rahul Dravid) sometimes, and Dada (Sourav Ganguly) usually stayed in his room. I remember when we defeated Pakistan in Pakistan - my first away series for India - that night Rahul bhai, Sachin paaji, and everyone were together. We enjoyed that moment to the fullest," Sreesanth recalled.
Known for his enthusiasm both on and off the field, Sreesanth often took charge of planning team outings. "All the coaches used to tell me, 'Sree, you decide where we're going. ' Even Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) would say, 'You decide, but don't go overboard. ' I'd quietly organise everything for the team," he said.
He also revealed the backstory behind his famous celebration after dismissing Matthew Hayden in the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup semi-final. "Matthew Hayden was a big guy, and I had clean bowled him. That celebration came straight out of wrestling, where the referee hits the floor thrice before declaring you out. "
